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Putin arrives in Yerevan to attend events of Armenian Genocide centenary

he Russian head of state also plans two separate meetings with the Armenian and French presidents

Vladimir Putin Alexei Nikolsky/ITAR-TASS

Vladimir Putin

© Alexei Nikolsky/ITAR-TASS

YEREVAN, April 24. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Friday. The main purpose of the visit to attend the commemoration events for the Armenian Genocide victims in the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1916. The Russian head of state also plans two separate meetings with the Armenian and French presidents.

"Russia attaches great importance to the anniversary of the tragic developments in the Ottoman Empire, understanding the significance of this date for friendly Armenia, the Armenian diaspora worldwide, including Armenian nations residing in Russia [about three million people]," Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said.

While in Yerevan, the Russian president is planned to visit the genocide memorial that he had visited last during in December 2013 and speak at a commemorative ceremony along with high guests from 20 countries.

Apart from that, Putin is expected to have bilateral talks with Presidents of Armenia and France, Serzh Sargsyan and Francois Hollande. Talks with the Armenian leader will focus on bilateral cooperation and pressing international problems, said Ushakov, adding that the two countries are "linked by the strategic partnership relations."

The meeting with the French leader, according to Ushakov, is likely to centre round the implementation of the Minsk-2 agreements on Ukraine and the problem over the Mistral helicopter carrier contract with France. "I assume that the Mistral issue many be touched upon during Yerevan negotiations, there are also many other issues to discuss, first of all - Ukraine," said Ushakov. -0ezh

View ITAR-TASS archive photos: http://go.tassphoto.

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Vladimir Putin Armenia

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